US foreign policy approach in Latin America

Discussions regarding Donald Trump’s foreign policy have focused on an unconventional approach to global power dynamics, described by some analysts as a ‘five-dimensional chess game’ involving military, economic, political, diplomatic, and oil-related factors. This strategy is viewed as an attempt to reconstruct United States geopolitical power, particularly within Latin America.

As this policy is implemented, the second Trump administration has utilized diplomatic tools and coercive measures to align regional interests with the United States. In Panama, U.S. pressure regarding Chinese influence led the government to cancel a Chinese concession for the Balboa and Cristóbal ports and withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative. In Venezuela, U.S. actions have aimed to secure energy resources by limiting Chinese access to Venezuelan oil.

Furthermore, the State Department, under Marco Rubio, has employed visa policies as a tool of influence by reinstating visas for certain Central American political figures while revoking them for others. This coincides with a broader trend of ideological alignment in the region, supporting specific leaders in Colombia and Peru.